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Municipal police forces: weakest link aganist organized crime

October 27, 2009 in Accountability | by elarouche

According to El Universal reporter, Francisco Gómez, of the various police bodies that exist in the country, the municipal force is considered the first and most important contact in relation to the citizenry. However, this force is also considered to be the weakest link in the face of powerful organized crime which has actually formed alliances rather than enemies with these police forces in many cases. Public security experts and investigators warn that institutional and structural weakness is prevalent and the common denominator of the 2,022 municipal police, thus causing infiltration and corruption.

According to specialists, the almost 170 thousand elements are devalued, work without leadership, are extremely vulnerable, face arms shortages, and are poorly prepared and paid. Despite this situation, specialists reject that their ejection is a solution, as government authorities have suggested. Rather, they propose to generate indicators and devise diagnostics of each, as well as making their mechanisms of management and organization transparent, designing career programs, increasing salaries and benefits, among other items.

SOURCE:

Gómez, Francisco. “La policía municipal, infiltrada y corrupta.” El Universal, October 27, 2009.